HiBob unveils five distinct personalities that make up the UK’s employed population, based on how people interact with their payslips.
The research reveals the link between people’s attitudes towards their monthly payslip and their preference for all types of work-related issues ranging from work location to how they deal with conflict at work and their level of comfort around socio-political conversations with colleagues.
These are the groups that employers need to understand and factor into company decision-making, if they are to get the most from their people:
- The Triple Checker (22% of UK employee base):Reviews all sections of their payslip multiple times. Prefers being in the office/onsite, has a work first mentality and is motivated by career advancement.
- The One and Done (46%):Reviews all sections of their payslip once. Prefers hybrid model, very satisfied with their work-life balance and is motivated by this.
- The Glancer (20%):Reviews some of the sections of their payslip. Wants a hybrid or remote model, work comes second to personal life and is motivated by financial security.
- The Headliner (11%):Only checks the final amount on the payslip matches expectations. Prefers a hybrid model, is dissatisfied with work-life balance and part motivated by fear of job loss.
- The Avoider (1%):Never opens their payslip. Prefers working fully remote, motivated by work-life balance not getting paid.
HiBob has profiled five payslip personalities, uncovering their driving motivations, characteristics, preference for work, how they deal with conflict and how satisfied they are with their current work-life balance:
The Triple Checker (22% of UK employee base)
- 3 times more likely than the average UK worker to work in executive leadership.
- 79% more likely than the average working Brit to be motivated by career advancement.
- 30% more likely to prefer working in the office / onsite full-time.
- Most likely of all personas to prioritise work over personal life but, despite this, is more than twice as likely to say they’re extremely satisfied with their work life balance.
- Most likely to be comfortable discussing sociopolitical views at work and 2.3 times more likely to feel very
- Least likely to describe themselves as thorough; despite reviewing all sections of their payslip multiple times, suggesting they may not actually understand their payslip and triple check for reassurance.
The One and Done (46%)
- More likely than the average working Brit to work in management.
- Motivated by financial security, work-life balance and job satisfaction.
- 21% more likely than the average working Brit to prefer a hybrid working model.
- Most likely of all personas to be very satisfied with their work life balance.
- Second most likely to be comfortable with discussing socio-political opinions at work, but least likely to advocate for their position when dealing with a conflict.
- Most likely of all personas to consider themselves efficient and thorough.
- This is the group that fully understands the payslip, confidently checking it once, rather than triple checking to reassure themselves.
The Glancer (20%)
- Least likely persona to work in management.
- Most likely to be motivated by financial security.
- 40% more likely than the Triple Checker and One and Done to prefer a fully remote working model.
- 25 times more likely to prioritise personal life over work life, yet only moderatelysatisfied with their work-life balance.
- Comfortable discussing socio-political opinions at work and most likely to listen to all parties to find a compromise when dealing with conflict.
- Least likely to describe themselves as detail-oriented and goal-oriented.
- The Glancers’ attention is not at work, it is on what’s happening at home and all they can give the payslip is a quick once over.
The Headliner (11%)
- Almost 1.3 times more likely than the average working Brit to be a line employee.
- Most likely to be motivated by job satisfaction and is 25% more likely to be motivated by fear of job loss than the average UK employee.
- Prefers a hybrid working model, followed by a fully in office / onsite working model.
- 66 times more likely to say they are not at all satisfied with their work life balance.
- Most uncomfortable discussing socio-political opinions at work, but 1.75 times more likely to advocate for their position in a conflict.
- Despite trusting their payslip details are correct if the sum that lands in the bank is correct, they are less likely than Triple Checkers, One and Doners and Glancers to describe themselves as trusting.
- This personality wants to get to the point and is outcome driven. They don’t need to see the working out, if the result is as expected.
The Avoider (1%)
- More than 2.5 times more likely to own their own company or be a partner in a company.
- 75% more likely to be motivated by social connections and 1.88 times more likely to say getting paid is not their biggest motivator to work.
- 70% more likely to prefer a fully remote working model.
- Most likely to say they are motivated by work-life balance.
- 2 times more likely to be uncomfortable with socio-political discussions at work and (unsurprisingly) 32% more likely find a way to avoid conflict.
- 40% more likely than the average employee to consider themselves support-seeking and stress avoidant.
- The Avoider has the least connection to work as employment and wants to keep office life at a distance.
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
